Champion of Dreams
by PetiteCafe
Summary: Sarah's back in the Underground, and must run the Labyrinth once again. This time, however, the prize is Jareth's freedom...and perhaps, something more.
1. Chapter 1: In Which Sarah Exits

_Skirts, rustling around her legs as she turns, the walls of the ballroom glittering around her. Music drifting through the air. People, nudging against her as she passes, her eyes scanning the room for the sight of…_

_Him._

_He steps forward from the crowd, takes her hands, and leads her in the most elegant dance of all: the waltz. He turns her gracefully, not missing a step, and she catches sight of the two of them in the curved, reflective walls. They look so beautiful. _

_He pulls her tight against him, his lips murmuring, "I need you," as she is crushed against his chest. She can't breathe, and doesn't care. All she cares about is in his eyes, and all she can see is his mouth slowly descending towards hers…_

**Beep…Beep…Beep…**

_She looks around, confused, for the sound. He smiles ruefully. _

"_Time to wake up, Sarah…but remember, I need you…don't forget…"_

She sat up in bed, drawing in a deep breath, and reflexively slammed her hand down on the alarm clock. She wasn't in a ballroom; she was at home, in her bed, with her cat Nimue giving her a very sleepy look from the end of the bed. _Right._

Sarah swung her long legs out of bed, flipping her hair out of her face, and groggily staggered to the bathroom, where she splashed cold water on her flushed cheeks. The dreams came every so often; she was used to them by now; at least, she thought she was.

Her mind was on auto-pilot as she got ready for work, tending to drift back to what she remembered of her dream, and an even more distant memory of the reality that the dream came from. _So beautiful. I remember feeling so beautiful…and he looked so beautiful, too…_

As she grabbed her apron from the back of the couch, her hand paused for a moment, and lingered on the wooden labyrinth that still held a place of honor on one of her end tables. The memories, like all memories, had faded with time, and eight years had done a good job of erasing much of what had happened to her in the Underground, but she still remembered pieces.

And when she didn't…

_He had said, "I need you."_

Sarah paused, struck by a thought.

Work passed in a blur of double skinny lattes, mochas, and large coffees with room for cream. Slinging coffee was no picnic, but at least it paid the bills and gave her the flexible schedule she needed to pursue her acting. Usually at work she'd be running over lines in her head, or thinking through her newest audition monologue, but today, there was something else occupying her thoughts.

Late that night, Sarah sat down in front of her mirror, full of trepidation. It was the same mirror she'd had as a teenager, but she'd never called her friends from her apartment, and it had been three years – would they still come? Could they even find her?

Only one way to find out.

She took a deep breath.

"Hoggle? Sir Didymus? Ludo? I need you. I need all of you."

She'd meant to enunciate clearly and speak loudly, but her voice came out as a squeak. She tried again.

"Hoggle! I need you! Ludo! I need you! Sir Didymus, I need you, I need you all!"

"Well, what took you so long?" a voice cried behind her, and she turned to see her three friends gathered at the foot of her bed.

Sarah nearly screamed with delight, leaping out of the chair. "Hoggle!"

They caught her as she dove into their arms, laughing and hugging all at the same time. She was practically crushed by Ludo's enthusiastic embrace, but didn't care; her friends had found her.

When the joyful reunion was over, Hoggle gave Sarah a more serious look. "Sarah, you called us after all this time, so you must know what's happening."

Ludo and Didymus also wore grave expressions as Sarah shook her head. "No, I – what's wrong? I had a dream last night…"

Didymus and Hoggle exchanged a look. "His Majesty said he would try to reach you, but wasn't sure how long it would take, my lady," said Didymus. "I believe he sent that dream well over a week ago."

"His Majesty? You mean that was from…"

"Jareth," Hoggle confirmed. "The King is in trouble."

Sarah stood, anger crossing her face. "Trouble? He needs help? _My_ help!"

It was Didymus who answered. "Aye, my lady."

"Well, then he can come here himself and ask for it! You…you all _know_ what he did, that he stole Toby-"

"Which, to be fair, you _did_ ask him to do –" Hoggle interjected.

"-and then he tried to make me _stay _with him! And now he needs my help! Of all the cowardly, insane…"

They waited until she wore herself out, and then Didymus ventured, "My lady, he would have come himself, but can't."

"Can't?"

"He's imprisoned," Hoggle said. "His cousin is trying to take over the Goblin Kingdom, and he's imprisoned Jareth."

She slowly sank back down onto the bed. "How did that happen?"

"Hamel – that's his cousin – has been envious of Jareth for years. He decided that the time was right to try and conquer the Labyrinth and the Kingdom, and somehow he managed to get into the castle and imprison Jareth. I don't know the whole story, to tell you the truth, but the two of us – me and Sir Didymus – got into the tower where he's being kept. All he had time to tell us before we had to get out again was that he needed help, and you were the best one for the job. So he asked us to try and get in touch with you –"

" – but we had no way of getting to your world until you called us," finished Didymus. "His Majesty may be able to travel between the worlds at will, but the ways are barred to such poor souls as us."

"So what exactly does he need me for?"

"He didn't get that far," said Hoggle, with a sigh. "Listen, Sarah, I know you don't really want to go back there, but if he's right, and you're the one who can help him…"

"The situation is desperate, my lady," Didymus pleaded. "Would it hurt to return and at least see what His Majesty wants with you?"

Sarah stood back up, and paced the floor. Part of her wanted to stay safe, and say to heck with Jareth the Goblin King, and keep living the life she had…

_On the other hand though, being safe isn't that much fun…and I have been missing an adventure lately…_

"All right," she sighed. "I'll go in the morning."

Hoggle and Didymus cheered, and Ludo grunted happily. "We'll return now, fair lady," Didymus said. "If you call us again in the morning, we shall escort you - Sir Hoggle, we may need to get into the tower again to consult with His Majesty…"

Sarah spent the remainder of the night packing a small knapsack to take with her into the Underground. Last time, she'd been unprepared, and she didn't intend to do the same again, especially not having any idea how long she'd be gone. She packed a full canteen, a flashlight, a candle and matches, her Swiss Army knife, a ball of twine, a large black permanent marker, and some food – granola bars, crackers, fruit, and the like. She also packed a light jacket, and laid out jeans, sneakers, a T-shirt, and a sweatshirt to wear in the morning.

She fell into bed tired, asleep almost before her head hit the pillow.

And dreamed.

_This time she's not in the ballroom; she's in a tower room, richly furnished, but there are bars on the windows and the door is thick metal. This is a royal prison._

_She knows he's behind her, and takes her time about turning and looking him full in the face._

_It's him, Jareth, the Goblin King. The man who has haunted her dreams for the past eight years, the man she dances with at night and wishes she could dance with forever…_

_She shakes her head to clear it. No time for that now._

_Jareth is looking at her with a trace of a smirk on his face; an expression she knows well. Then it is gone, and she has trouble finding the arrogance that was so apparent the last time she saw this man. Now he is pale, drawn and tired, the lines from nose to mouth showing deeply. His hair is duller and almost seems to wilt._

_"Sarah," he says softly. His voice is also tired._

_"You called me," she says, admitting it. "I'm coming."_

_"I know. Forgive me for not explaining much; we don't have much time, and I'll tell you everything when you come to the Underground."_

_"You're so – "_

_"Different?" He smiles wryly. "Yes, losing one's kingdom can do that."_

_"So it's true? You are in prison?"_

_"A very comfortable one, but yes, I am." He sweeps a hand behind him. "Here you see my little gilded cage. Lovely, isn't it?" He seems not to expect an answer. "My cousin has laid a spell on it that severely limits the magic I'm able to do, which is why it took a week to send you the last dream. When Hoggle and Didymus told me you were coming, I decided to expend some strength and try to contact you one last time before you came."_

_"Why?"_

_Jareth pauses, turning and walking to one of the barred windows. "I had to hear it from you. And I had to see if you'd…forgiven me."_

_She remembers what Hoggle said, and unwillingly, admits it to herself. "I was the one that asked you to take Toby. I asked you for everything. There's nothing to forgive."_

_He sighs, smiling again. "Now I know you've grown up. Will you forgive me for the dreams, too?"_

_"The dreams? You mean…not just the other night, but…"_

_"I've sent all of them," he says softly. "All these years. Every night you dreamed, it was me there, in the dream, dancing with you. It was a way for me to still have a little piece of you with me. But in my defense…I wouldn't have been able to, if…"_

_"…if I hadn't wanted you to," Sarah finishes. Jareth's look is the only answer she needs._

_"As you said," he murmurs, "I have no power over you."_

_"So then…as I said…there's nothing to forgive."_

_Jareth smiles, and for the first time, it seems to be a genuine smile, lighting up his face. "I knew you'd be the right one to be my Champion."_

_Sarah looks up, startled. "Champion? What do you mean, champion?"_

_Even as she speaks, the room begins to waver, the walls becoming transparent. Jareth looks around him, dismayed. "We're out of time. I'm weaker than I thought – or my cousin's spell is stronger. I swear to you that I'll tell you everything when you come tomorrow, but for now, just come to the gates of the palace and say that you're the King's Champion. Remember that. Do you understand?"_

_"Yes, but…"_

_"I'll explain tomorrow, I promise – but don't forget, you're the King's Champion. Don't forget, Sarah…I've never forgotten you…"_

She woke with the blankets kicked halfway to the floor, and the sheet twisted around her body. The clock on her beside read 7:35, which was only a little later than she normally rose for work. _Ah well – no time like the present._

Sarah showered and dressed, gathering her things. She moved slowly, delaying the inevitable, until at last, all the preparations were made, and she had nothing left to do but take her place in front of the mirror.

"Hoggle? I need you…"


	2. Chapter 2: In Which There Are Rocks

_A/N: The formatting should be a little better on this chapter. Still learning my way around the system. Thanks muchly for your patience! -PC_

The words reverberated in the room, and a moment later, Hoggle and Didymus stepped out of the mirror.

"Good day, my lady." Didymus bowed over her hand.

"Are you ready, Sarah?" Hoggle asked. "We got in to see Jareth last night and he told us he'd try to talk to you…"

"He did…"

"Good. Then I guess you know what to do when we get to the palace?"

"I…I think so."

"Sir Hoggle, we should be on our way," Didymus urged. "There is no time to waste."

"Right." Hoggle rummaged in his jewel pouch, and came out with a crystal ball like Jareth's. Seeing the surprised look on Sarah's face, he explained. "We got it from the King, last night. You can't go the same way we do; he had to put a spell in the crystal in order to bring you to the Underground, since he can't bring you himself."

Didymus opened her bedroom window, and Hoggle threw the crystal out the window. For a moment, nothing happened…then slowly, blooming outward from the crystal like a flower, was the landscape of the Underground. The Labyrinth surrounded the castle, just like she remembered, but the city appeared busier than she'd seen it…

"Come on," Hoggle urged. "The spell won't last long."

They helped her step through the window, and onto the dusty, ochre ground that she remembered from her first visit. She turned, and with no surprise, saw that her bedroom had disappeared, and that all she saw was more of the Underground land.

Hoggle took her hand, starting to pull her along. "We've gotta hurry."

"What is all that?" she asked, pointing towards the city, even as the dwarf tugged her down the hill.

"Hamel's army," Hoggle answered.

"Foul ruffians," Didymus was muttering. "If I ever cross blades with them again, I'll…"

"Ssssh!" Hoggle whispered. "We're going to have to sneak back into the Labyrinth."

"Isn't there an easier way?"

Hoggle shook his head at Sarah's question. "All the easy ways are patrolled by Hamel's army. Even though it's the rules, he doesn't want Jareth to be able to contact a Champion, or get that Champion to the palace."

"Wait a minute – what rules? How do you know about this whole Champion thing, whatever it is?"

Hoggle urgently waved her silent. "All we know is what Jareth told us last night," he whispered. "It's the rules; he gets a Champion, and he's picked you. So now we've got to get you to the palace so that he can tell you everything. Lucky for us, Jareth is still in control of the Labyrinth, which means that nothing's changed…which means that I still know all the shortcuts, including some that Hamel hasn't found yet. So, assuming we can get in, it's a piece of cake."

"What about the getting in part?"

"Eh…" Hoggle looked uncomfortable. "That's not so easy. There's only one way to open the gates, and I don't think we can get that close."

They were concealed behind a combination of rubble and bushes, and all four were peering out at the main gates of the Labyrinth.

"Doesn't the King have ways in?"

"Magic ways," said Hoggle, with a shake of his head. "No good to us."

"Wait a minute…" Sarah leaned out, trying to get a better look. "Are those gates…stone?"

"Yeah, why?" In the next instant, Hoggle grasped what she was saying. "Of course! But then how's Ludo going to get inside with us?"

"You really think they'll try and stop him, with rocks rolling all over?"

"Good point," the dwarf muttered. "Okay – Ludo, can you call the rocks, and then call the gates open?"

"Sure," the monster mumbled.

"This does kind of wreck the element of surprise," Sarah pointed out. "Not that I've got any better ideas…"

"We'll go fast," Hoggle promised. "The route I'm going to take us on is one of the shortest in the whole Labyrinth. It'll take barely fifteen minutes. Hamel will hardly know we're here."

"And if what the King said is right, when we get to the castle, subtlety isn't a worry," Sarah added. "All right, let's do it."

A moment later, Ludo stood up, and began issuing the telltale moans from his throat. The guards wheeled around where they stood, yelling in surprise, and then in fear, as giant boulders began to rumble across the plain in front of the gates.

Ludo moaned again, and the gates began to swing open. Hoggle grabbed Sarah's hand. "C'mon!" he yelled. "We can't waste any time!"

They sprinted across the field, Didymus riding on Ludo's shoulder, and were through the gates in seconds. Even as they cleared the great doors, Ludo was already moaning to shut them, and they clapped shut just as his tail passed through.

The party stopped to catch their breath once the gates were shut. "Good plan," Sarah panted, her hands on her knees.

"Thanks," Hoggle wheezed.

Once everyone had rested a moment, Hoggle led them at a fast walk down the outside corridor of the Labyrinth.

"Isn't there a route that would take us straight to the castle?" Sarah asked, as Hoggle led them left at yet another fork.

"Yeah, but we don't want to go that way. Like I said, Hamel knows all the easy ways. We're stuck with the harder ones."

"Oh, yeah."

They stopped at a dead end, and Hoggle began knocking on the bricks of the wall, listening intently after each knock. He quickly found what he was looking for, and rapped three times on one brick. There was a sound of gears grinding, the crumble of dust falling, and the entire wall slid back, revealing a dark, long corridor.

"This is it!" Hoggle grinned, motioning them in. "Don't worry about the light; the torches go on when you walk in."

Once Ludo was in, bringing up the rear, the wall began sliding shut again. Hoggle took the lead, as before. "You wanna know the best thing about this way through the Labyrinth, Sarah?" he asked happily.

"Sure."

"You can only use this way if you're going to the castle on a mission from the King! So Hamel might find it, but he won't be able to use it."

"That's…great, Hoggle." Sarah didn't exactly see what good that was going to do them at the moment, but a little extra information never hurt…

As Hoggle had promised, the trip took about ten minutes. The corridor was long and winding, but straight on, so there was no danger of getting lost. Finally, they reached a wall: a dead end.

Hoggle brushed cobwebs off a lever to the left side of the wall, and gave it a firm pull. As before, gears ground and dust fell as the wall slid back. They exited quickly, the wall shutting behind them.

Almost immediately, Hoggle motioned for quiet, then pressed himself flat against one of the Labyrinth's walls, inching towards the corner. Sarah and Ludo, with Didymus riding, followed his example. The four of them peered around the wall.

They were at the edge of the Labyrinth, standing on a long, dirt road that led directly through the Goblin City and up to the castle gates. The road was full of marching soldiers, and a group of at least ten guarded the gates.

"Now what?" Sarah whispered.

"Uh…tell you the truth, I'm kind of out of ideas…" Hoggle mumbled.

"Should we just make a run for it?" she wondered.

"I fear there are too many of them, my Lady," Didymus said mournfully. "We would not stand a chance of victory. What exactly is it that thou must do?"

"He just said that when I get to the gates, to say that I'm the King's Champion." Hoggle grumbled. "It might work better to say it now, so you can _get_ to the gates in the first place."

Sarah paused, struck by the thought. Would that work? "No," she said finally. "We can't do that."

"Well, why not?"

"Because…because, that's the way it's done," she said softly, with a nostalgic smile.

"Aye," said Didymus, after a pause. "Thou must declare thyself his Champion at the gates of the castle. That is the way it is done, verily. And so that is the way you must do it."

Hoggle grumbled again. "Seems like we can never do it the sensible way, we have to do it "the way it's done"."

"Wait a minute…" Sarah was looking at one of the houses, and specifically, the pile of old, dirty blankets lying in the trash heap next to it. "Do they have…beggars…in the Underground?"

"Alms…alms, for the poor…"

The four of them shuffled along, wrapped in the dirty blankets from the trash pile. Sarah was hoping that the stink alone would keep anyone that was too curious away, and judging by the reactions of several of the soldiers, it seemed to be working.

They were almost at the gates. Just a few more feet…

"Halt!"

_Of course._

"What business have you at the palace, old beggars?"

One of the soldiers at the gates was pointing something very long and sharp-looking at Hoggle, who was in the lead. His voice emerged as a creak from deep within the blankets.

"We come to beg alms from His Majesty King Hamel, sir…"

"His Majesty has no time for beggars. Go back to the city, filth!"

Hoggle made as if to shuffle back, then in one movement, knocked the soldier's weapon aside and threw off his hood. "Is this close enough?" he yelled. "Hurry, Sarah!"

Sarah tossed off her blankets as well, and charged through the soldiers, coming to stand directly before the gates. Taking a deep breath, she yelled as loudly as she could:

"King Hamel! Hear me! I am Sarah, of the Upper World, and I have come to Champion His Majesty, King Jareth of the Underground!"


	3. Chapter 3: In Which Sarah Is Invited

_Disclaimer: I own none of the characters from the Labyrinth movie. -PC  
_

Her words seemed to echo throughout the entire Underground.

The soldiers instantly stopped trying to kill her companions, and resumed their posts. One of them, with a slightly more ornate helmet, came up to her.

"My lady, I am Captain of the Guards," he addressed her. "If you'll follow me, I'll take you to His Majesty. You're expected."

Hoggle, Ludo, and Didymus all fell in beside her as the gates were opened, and the Captain escorted them inside. "You're expected?" Hoggle muttered.

"His Majesty did mention the rules…" Didymus whispered in reply. "There is evidently a protocol to this sort of thing…"

They were led across a wide courtyard and into the central keep, up a set of stairs, and into the Throne Room that Sarah recognized from her previous visit. The difference this time was that the room was occupied; dozens of goblins were lounging around, and the walls were ringed with soldiers. _It seems like he's got the whole place in lockdown. The goblins can't be too happy about that…_

The Captain led them before the throne that had been Jareth's. On it, was presumably Hamel.

He bore a resemblance to Jareth…a likeness as if the Goblin King had been reflected in a black glass mirror. Where Jareth was fair, his cousin was dark, his spiked hair shooting up in obsidian points and streaked with red. His eyes were black pools, highlighted in red, and his clothes were red velvet and black leather.

_He looks dangerous. Which is probably exactly what he's going for._

Hamel was wearing Jareth's smirk as the Captain stopped them before the throne. "Your Majesty, this is the girl that announced herself as Champion."

"So I see." His voice was silky. "Greetings to you, Champion…or may I call you Sarah?"

Sarah gritted her teeth. "You may."

"Wonderful! You see, we're already starting off on the right foot. Well, Sarah, I'm sure that you're wondering what this is all about. Since my cousin, in his…wisdom…chose a Champion from the Aboveground, you probably don't have the slightest idea why you're here."

"He called me. I came."

"Of course. And I look forward to hearing all about your history with my dear cousin…but forgive me, where are my manners? You'll of course be wanting to see Jareth. Captain!"

The Captain instantly stepped forward from where he had been standing against the wall.

"Take Sarah to the North Tower – the Champion must see her King, after all. The others…take them to Belar, have him find rooms for them and such, and make chambers ready for my lady." Hamel gave her a bow. "Will you join me for supper this evening, lady?"

"Of course." Sarah would have told him anything at that point, to escape his presence.

"I look forward to it, then." He sketched another bow, and resumed his place on the throne.

Hoggle grabbed Sarah's arm before they were led away. "We'll meet you later tonight, after supper, all right?"

"How will I find you?"

"We'll come to you."

"Be careful…"

The Captain, Sarah's escort, led her up a series of winding steps to the top of what she presumed was the North Tower.

"How long has Hamel been here?" she asked. Any little bit of information might help her achieve her goal…though what that goal was, she still wasn't entirely sure…

"A few months now, my lady," replied the Captain. "And you should address him as His Majesty, my lady, with all due respect."

Sarah found her teeth clenching again. "Of course," she ground out. "Yet His Majesty King Jareth is still King, is he not?"

The Captain looked embarrassed, and studied the steps as his feet climbed. "Indeed, lady, until the Challenge is complete."

"And when will that be?"

He raised his head, looking her square in the face. "When you fail."

She barely had time to grasp his words before they reached the top of the stairs, and the Captain waved aside the two guards that stood in front of the single door. He produced a ring of iron keys from his belt, inserting one into the lock, and opening the door.

"When you wish to leave," he instructed her, "just knock. One of these guards will open the door for you and escort you to your chambers."

_Very neat. Hamel knows I don't know my way around, so all at once he appears kind, but also knows everywhere I go._

She settled for a simple "Thank you," to the Captain, then bent her head and stepped through the small door into the tower prison.

Sarah was entirely unsurprised to find that the prison chambers looked exactly as she remembered from her dream. There were a few details that were unfamiliar, but she suspected that was due to her not noticing them in the dream, rather than inaccuracy.

Jareth, the Goblin King, her adversary and constant companion for the past eight years, was sitting on one of the windowsills, looking out through the bars of the window. He turned as the door clanged shut behind her.

"You look tired," were her first words.

"I am," he replied. "I've been trying to test the limits of my cousin's spell on this prison, unfortunately he's become better at magic than I'd…" His voice trailed off. "Sarah."

She gulped. "You called…I came…"

A smile touched his lips. "So you did. I heard you announcing yourself at the gates from here…it was quite impressive…"

"Well…that's the way it's done." Her cheeks were burning.

"Indeed."

They stood staring at each other for a few moments, then finally the King broke their eye contact, crossing to a small table. "Would you like wine?" He gestured to a jug and goblets.

"Yes please, thank you."

Once he had poured the drinks and she had taken a seat in a comfortable chair, Sarah added, "I'd also like an explanation…"

"…as to why you're here?" he finished. "Of course. Well…perhaps I should start at the beginning…"


	4. Chapter 4: In Which It Is Story Time

_A/N: Thanks to Ocean Fairy for the reviews! Tossing up another chapter before I head to work, but this'll be the last one for a couple days...so read slowly! Enjoy. -PC_

_Disclaimer: I own none of the characters from the Labyrinth movie._

She settled deeper into the chair cushions, her hands wrapped around the wine cup, as Jareth commenced the tale.

"There is a ruling class," he began, "which has dominion over all the Magical races. The rulership of each individual Kingdom is passed down through the generations, but the rulers of each race are all of the same original bloodline. Thus, my cousin Hamel is King of the Fire Folk, those who live beneath the mountains and forge the lava for magical purposes. Do you see?"

"Yes…so you're not really a goblin?"

"No. I am of the ruling class, as is Hamel. We are a difference race; a younger race than most of the other Magical races. Some have hypothesized that the ruling class was the result of mixing the Elven and Human bloodlines…but that is irrelevant at this point."

"Right. Save the history lesson for later."

He grinned, very uncharacteristically. "Precisely. So, the ruling class is immortal, or so near as to make no noticeable difference. We can be killed, with difficulty, or we can choose to pass on, but more often than not, we simply become bored, and thus the rulership of the races is handed down.

"Hamel and I received the rulership of our individual Kingdoms at roughly the same point in time. We had been rivals as youth, and from the beginning he was jealous of me. The usual petty complaints – I had a larger Kingdom, with more resources and more power – became a source of constant agony for him. He has tried to take over the Goblin Kingdom several times before; trying to take one another's thrones is a chief source of amusement among my people."

"But…" Sarah's mouth was open in shock. "So you start wars for _fun_?"

Jareth looked uncomfortable. "Well…I've always found running my own Kingdom to be enough of a diversion, personally, but…"

"That's horrible! What about all the innocent people that happen to get _killed_ in your little games!"

He frowned. "I told you, I don't do that sort of thing. Now, we can either get sidetracked on something that has very little bearing on what's happening now, or we can skip it, and return to the fundamental problem at a later time. Your choice."

Sarah subsided, grumbling.

"Very well. Now, as I said, Hamel has tried this several times before. This time, he waited quite awhile before trying again, and managed to catch me unawares. You see the result." He gestured to the prison. "Unfortunately for me, he's also planned much better this time; he developed the magical skill necessary to keep me all but helpless. But fortunately for me, he made some assumptions that were incorrect."

"What were those?"

"He assumed that, crippled by his spells, I'd only be able to call a goblin as my Champion. Which led to the assumption that anyone I'd be able to reach, wouldn't be willing to fight for me, either out of spite towards me, or fear of him. And that assumption led to a third: that if I couldn't call a Champion, eventually, I'd grow so bored and depressed with being in prison that I'd either take my own life, opening the way to the throne, or I'd cede him the Kingship willingly in exchange for my freedom. So what if it took centuries? Hamel's shown that he's patient. Also, he is currently King in all but technicality, and he is willing to forgo the technicalities for now."

She was stuck on one thought. "You wouldn't…kill yourself…would you?"

"You'd be surprised what centuries of boredom would drive one to," he said dryly. "Hopefully, that will not be the case."

"Because you called me. As your Champion."

"Exactly."

"But wait a minute, though – Hoggle said there were rules, that you had to be allowed a Champion. Didn't Hamel violate the rules by preventing you from calling one?"

"Seemingly, yes, but he would always have been able to argue that I had the freedom to call a goblin Champion. There's no rule that says I have to be allowed my first choice of Champion, just that I have to be allowed to call one." His fangs showed in a grin. "Fortunately, it turned out that I got my first choice."

Despite herself, Sarah grinned. "I think you'd better explain all these "rules" to me."

"I shall. As I said, this has happened before, and so there is a protocol to be followed in regards to assuming the throne of another. There is a formal Challenge to be met, where the deposed ruler – that would be me, in this case – has the right to call a Champion – that's you - to represent them and attempt to complete the Challenge. If the Champion succeeds, the deposed ruler regains their throne. If they fail, then the usurper can banish the deposed ruler and hold the throne."

"So the rules are in regards to the Challenge?"

"And the Champion, and the treatment of the deposed ruler…believe me, it's a very long list. I'll spare you most of it, except what you need to know."

"Thanks…I think…"

"Don't mention it. So now, we come to the nature of the Challenge."

"That'd be nice to know, yeah."

"It is one of the principle reasons that I chose you as my Champion. The Challenge…is to solve the Labyrinth."

Sarah was quiet for a moment. "What's the catch?"

"It won't be like the last time. Hamel will assume control of the Labyrinth for the length of the Challenge. Again there are rules – he can't kill you, he can't make it impossible for you to solve the maze – but he can throw things at you that you've never seen before. No one inside will be allowed to help you. And you must go alone."

"Sounds like a real picnic," she muttered.

"It will be. And I can only help you so much."

"What do you mean?"

"The rules state that I'm allowed to give you three gifts to help you through the Challenge."

"Pretty complete rules," she observed.

"You would not believe it if I told you."

"Probably not."

Jareth abruptly stood, pacing across the room to one of the windows. "You can still choose to not accept the Challenge. It's my duty to tell you that, even though you've already proclaimed yourself as my Champion. You can still step aside."

"What happens to you then?"

He looked out the window, not meeting her eyes. "Then I shall see how long I can stand being in prison."

"Couldn't you just choose another Champion?"

"No. I have one choice. If, once accepted, my Champion will not take the Challenge, then I am, as you humans say, spit out of luck."

She hid a smile at his butchering of the expression, reminding herself of the seriousness of the discussion. "I won't leave you like that. I'll accept the Challenge."

"You aren't afraid?" he asked softly.

Sarah looked up, catching his gaze and holding it firmly. "I'm terrified," she admitted. "But if what you say is true, you've put me in the position of being the only one who can save you. And you ought to remember what happens when I'm put in that spot."

"Yes…" his lips curved in a smile, "yes, I believe I do. Very well, then, my Champion. Will you dine with me tonight?"

She jumped up, realizing she'd forgotten the time. "I can't – when we got here your cousin asked me to eat with him…I should go, I probably have to dress or something…I'll try to come back later tonight, if they let me…"

Jareth's eyes narrowed. "You should be able to come see me at any time…that is protocol, at any rate…so until later, then. But be careful of Hamel, Sarah. He has a fondness for things that are mine."


	5. Chapter 5: In Which Sarah Takes A Bath

A/N: Yup, it's short. Sorry. It wanted to stop there. Thanks muchly to my new reviewers! -PC 

_Disclaimer: I own none of the Labyrinth movie characters._

The guard outside of Jareth's prison escorted her across what felt like half the castle, until they reached a set of spacious apartments.

"Your chambers, my lady," he said, motioning her in with a bow, and closing the door behind her as she entered.

Sarah let her grubby knapsack fall on the sumptuous carpet, feeling very small and very dirty. The huge bed at one corner of the room, raised on a dais, was canopied and hung with blue velvet, and the sheets were what looked like silvery satin. Tables and chairs of dark woods and rich fabrics were scattered negligently about the room. Despite the richness, there was a lack of personality, and Sarah guessed that this was a generic "guest" chamber. _I'd hate to see what Jareth's chambers look like…well, no, actually I wouldn't hate it…_She suppressed a giggle, and began exploring.

There were three doors set in the chamber walls, the first being the door she'd come in through. The second proved to be a closet full of clothes that looked like they might fit her. _I certainly can't accuse Hamel of a lack of hospitality._

The third door was a bathing chamber, and with a low cry of delight, Sarah turned on the taps and watched as hot water and bubbles rapidly filled the stone tub. She suddenly realized she had no idea what time dinner was, and, turning off the taps, crossed the room again and opened the main door.

A guard instantly left the wall. "My lady?"

"Do you know what time dinner will be served?"

"In one hour, my lady. We are to escort you when you are ready."

"Thank you." She closed the door again.

_Three guards outside my chambers, and an escort everywhere I go. Hamel certainly doesn't want me getting around without him knowing. We'll have to do something about that._

For the moment, the intrigue was forgotten, as Sarah luxuriated in the hot bubble bath. Even something as simple as a bath lifted her spirits, and helped her not think about the Challenge and the Labyrinth awaiting her…when? _Probably soon. Now that I'm here, Hamel probably won't see any need to waste time._

She rose from the bath, dried off, and rummaged through the clothes closet, settling on a gown of midnight blue velvet. The bodice was encrusted with dark sequins, and it reminded her of the outfit that Jareth had worn the night he blew into her house.

A faint smile touched her lips as she remembered, even as she stood before the mirror to fix her hair.

_Meanwhile, in another part of the castle…_

"She will take the Challenge, Your Majesty."

Hamel sighed, as he put the finishing touches on his spiky mane of hair. "Well, I can't say I'm surprised. What else did little Sarah and my dear cousin discuss?"

"Nothing else of import, Your Majesty. Some history, and the nature of the Challenge, but nothing else. They are to meet again tonight, after she sups with you."

"Very well. Return to your post, and report to me first thing in the morning. I want to know what else they talk about tonight."

The guard bowed, and exited the royal apartments. Hamel turned back to the mirror with a scowl. He'd been hoping that his cousin would be forced to yield the throne as a result of the limitations Hamel had placed upon him; unfortunately, Jareth was more resourceful than he'd thought. He'd also forgotten about the girl that had defeated his cousin eight years ago. Clearly, Jareth hadn't.

As he toyed with the bottled oils and scents on the dressing table, Hamel's thoughts turned in a much more pleasant direction…the Challenge. Jareth had chosen a human, and humans were not renowned for their cleverness. This had the potential to be very easy.

_Careful_, he cautioned himself. This human had defeated Jareth before; she was more than likely above the average of her kind. But this time, the stakes were higher. And she wasn't playing against Jareth.

Hamel was struck by a thought, even as the clock chimed a warning that he was about to be late for dinner. He grabbed a piece of parchment on the dressing table, and quickly scrawled a single word, before grabbing a long black cape and exiting in a swirl of fabric.

The word on the parchment was LETHE.


	6. Chapter 6: In Which A Mess Is Made

_A/N: This one is a bit longer, to placate my poor readers. Ugh…the slime from Hamel is getting all over my keyboard. ;-) -PC_

_Disclaimer: None of the characters from the Labyrinth movie are mine. I also did borrow a quote/concept from Good Omens, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, at the very opening of the chapter._

Sarah was escorted through a high archway into a small, intimate dining room. The table was laid for two, and set with a variety of dishes that ranged between looking incredibly delicious, and looking like something she'd find stuck to the bottom of her shoe.

"Well, don't just stand there, my dear – sit! Eat! You must be hungry."

Hamel had come in through another archway, and was looking at her like she belonged on the table. Warily, she crossed to one of the chairs, allowing him to pull it out for her. She watched as Hamel took his own seat.

_This is going to be like a fencing match – parry, thrust, parry, and repeat. But it's a fencing match where I don't know what the swords look like, the rules manual is written in Russian, and my opponent smiles all the time._

Servants stepped forward and filled their plates and glasses. As they returned to their positions against the walls, Hamel raised his goblet.

"A toast – to the King's Champion?" His tone was mocking, and his lips were again curled in the sneer that she'd seen Jareth wear so many times.

"To the rightful King," she countered, and without waiting for a reply, drank deeply from her glass. The wine was excellent.

As she put down the glass, she had the satisfaction of seeing Hamel glaring at her across the table. His face quickly relaxed into confidence, but the fury had been there. _That might be useful. He clearly doesn't like to be reminded that he's the one stealing the throne here._

"I trust your apartments are to your liking?" Hamel picked up his fork and began to toy with the food on his plate.

"Indeed, thank you. And thank you for the clothes, as well." Sarah used her own fork to start separating out the items on her plate that she actually thought she could eat.

"Oh, my pleasure. It's my duty to make sure you're well cared for – at least, until the Challenge." The unpleasant sneer was back.

"And after that, it's your duty to make sure I fail."

"We all have our roles, little Champion."

Hamel toyed with his food for another moment, then added, "You know, you don't have to defend him, Sarah. Did my cousin happen to mention that part?"

"Yes, he did." She glowered at him. "And I _will_ defend him."

"Oh, of course…it just seemed to me, that…" Hamel trailed off and filled his mouth with a bite of something.

"Seemed to you that what?" _Great. Why do I have the feeling that he's conducting the orchestra, and that I'm playing third trombone from the left?_

"Well…that he should be at your mercy, that's all. After all, _you_ defeated_ him_. Why would you stoop to defend someone whom you've fought before? I'm just curious, you understand."

_Sure you are. And that stuff on your plate didn't just try and squirm away._

"I suppose that I don't regard it as "stooping"."

"Perhaps you should, then. I think you might find it very…amusing…to humble my cousin a bit. I certainly have."

"I highly doubt that you and I get our thrills the same way."

"You'd be surprised. I think that the two of us have _much_ in common…and could have even more."

She regarded him skeptically. "What do you mean by that?"

Hamel lowered his voice, letting it ooze across the table. "Ally yourself with me, Sarah. Forsake my cousin and Champion me instead. You'll be able to get even with him for all those years ago, taking your baby brother away like that…doesn't someone like that _deserve_ to lose their kingdom?"

Despite her best efforts, Hamel's voce was hypnotizing. Yes, she remembered now, how cruel Jareth had been to her…maybe Hamel was right, that she should help him keep the throne instead of helping Jareth to regain it…

A memory drifted across her mind like a curtain blowing in the wind. _Which, to be fair, you did ask him to do…_

"I asked him to," she muttered.

"What was that, my dear?"

Sarah was feeling the misty web that Hamel had spun over her evaporate. _Although, I should probably see how far he's going to take this…_"Nothing," she mumbled.

"Sarah? Come here, my dear."

Even though she'd shaken off the hypnosis, her body still responded to the pull of his voice, and she was up and across the room rather more quickly than she'd intended. She kept herself somewhat limp as Hamel snaked his arm around her waist, his other hand tipping her chin up.

"Good girl," he murmured. "Champion me, and I'll make all your dreams come true."

Her right hang, swinging freely, brushed the edge of Hamel's plate. In an instant, she tensed up, scowling at a surprised Hamel, grabbed the plate – still full of food – and smashed it into his face.

"Jareth already has," she hissed.

Hamel slowly drew a hand down his face, wiping off the larger chunks of food. "You have no idea how foolish that was," he muttered.

"Spare me."

"You can't deny that I'm right. My cousin used you before, and make no mistake, he'll use you again."

"Oh, like I'd be so much better off with you? He was only doing what I asked him to do."

"Was he? Better look closely, Sarah. Are you just telling yourself that in order to indulge your little schoolgirl crush, playing the heroine to his brave knight in distress?" He smirked.

She grinned, clearly surprising him. "I've missed getting to be the heroine of the story. They always win."

Hamel grabbed his wine cup, raising it in a mock toast. "I'm afraid, Sarah, that you're going to find this is no fairy tale…and that the heroine, pure of heart though she may be, does not win in this story." He paused, drinking deeply from the cup, and his tone grew much more formal. "The Challenge will be in three days. You have that long to gain whatever advice you can get from my cousin, and make other preparations as you wish. Forgive me if I don't see you during that time, I shall be quite…busy." He smirked again. "The servants will attend to all your needs."

As he turned to go, Hamel looked back over his shoulder. "One last chance, Sarah? Take my offer before you regret taking his."

She merely glared at him, and he sighed mournfully. "Ah, such is the wisdom of youth. Very well, then, as you wish. I shall see you in three days."

_A little later, in the North Tower…_

The guard unlocked the great metal door for her, and Sarah stepped through hesitantly. "Hello?" she called.

Jareth turned from where he had been standing at the window, looking out at the night. Relief was plain on his face. "I was beginning to wonder whether my cousin had locked you up, too."

Sarah chuckled ironically. "No…I think he had a different sort of prison in mind for me."

"Really? Do tell."

"Well…" She settled herself comfortably in the same chair she'd used on her last visit. "He basically tried to hypnotize me, told me that you were just going to use me, and tried to get me to be his Champion instead. Oh, yeah, and I think he also was trying to seduce me. Not sure about that one. That's the short version, anyway."

Jareth's face had grown darker with every word. "And you told him?"

"Err…" Her cheeks warmed. "I didn't exactly tell him much. I sort of let the plate of food in his face do the talking."

"You what?" His eyebrow raised. "You…did you…"

"Yeah, that was the gist of it."

Jareth threw his head back and laughed, and laughed. The laughter shook his whole body, and made him seem years and years younger. Sarah, bemused, just sat back in her chair and waited for it to be over.

Finally, the King regained control of himself, and straightened up. He wiped tears of mirth from his eyes with a gloved hand. "I cannot remember the last time I laughed like that. For that I thank you, Sarah."

"You're welcome." She grinned. "Although I'm not sure I want to make you do that again. It was a little frightening."

"Perhaps, but I needed it. And picturing my cousin with his face covered in food was certainly worthy."

They sat quiet for a moment, Jareth still catching his breath, before Sarah spoke again. "Why was Hamel trying to get me to Champion him? If I bailed out on you, wouldn't the whole thing be over?"

Jareth frowned. "Not quite. It's a rare event, but if the Champion can be persuaded to fight for the other side, then the Challenge goes forward as scheduled. The difference in this case would be that I would retain control of the Labyrinth, and if you succeeded in solving it, Hamel would automatically take the throne."

"That almost seems like a better way, though. Since you're the one with the rightful claim to the throne, shouldn't you be in the stronger position?"

His frown was replaced by an ironic smirk. "You would think, but among my kind, losing your throne in the first place is a sign of weakness…so the burden falls to the deposed monarch, to prove that he or she is still worthy to hold it."

"I hate to say this…but…should I pretend to fight for him, and intentionally lose? You could just make the Labyrinth too hard to solve…"

Even as she spoke, Jareth was shaking his head. "No. You would have to want to fight for him, for the rules to take effect. There is a transfer of magic – it's too involved to explain – that will only work under certain circumstances. So, no double-crossing. Nevertheless, it was a good thought."

"Well, I_ am_ your Champion. It's my job to find the best way to fight for you."

She yawned, covering her mouth with a hand, and Jareth smiled. "You must be tired. Go to bed – we'll talk more in the morning. Did Hamel tell you when the Challenge is?"

"Three days."

"Good. That's enough time for me to tell you what you need to know."

She yawned again. "I was supposed to meet Hoggle and Didymus, later…"

"Don't worry. I'll send them a message to talk to you in the morning instead."

"Can you do that?"

"I'm much less limited within the space of the castle walls. It's on my side," he said cryptically. She was too tired to ask him what he meant.

They both stood, and he walked her to the door. "Have breakfast with me tomorrow," he invited. "I'll make sure that they bring food you can eat."

The King's eyes were laughing, and she was sure that he had at least some idea of what she had been served at dinner. "That's a deal."

"Good. Sleep well, Sarah."

As she lifted her hand to knock on the door, she felt a tug on her other hand. The King had taken it, and she watched as he lifted it, lightly brushing his lips across the back. She swallowed hard, watching him study her intently.

"Thank you," he murmured. She wasn't sure what he was thanking her for, and wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"Good night," she managed, and stumbled out the door.

_She's back in the ballroom, again, only this time, the room is empty. It seems as if the ball has yet to be held: the music is playing, and the refreshments are laid out, yet she is alone in the room._

_Not for long. Boot heels click on the tiled floor, and he is there, crossing from the opposite corner of the room. She stands still, letting him approach._

_"I hope you don't mind," he says, when he is close enough. "I couldn't resist, now that you know it's me. And it's so much easier to send the dreams when you're in the castle."_

_"Are you awake?"_

_"Oh, no."_

_She gestures. "So all this…is your imagination? How do you…?"_

_"Call it part dream, part fantasy, part wish, and part memory, if you like. Perhaps one day I'll be able to teach you the magic, and you can choose where we go. But in the meantime…may I have this dance?"_

_She graciously extends her hand to him. "You may."_

_He sweeps her around the ballroom, executing grand turns and long steps, taking advantage of the absence of others. Back in the real world, in the castle, they have much more serious things to worry about, but here, they can be…carefree._

_Their dance slows, gradually, until the movements are minute, and they stare into one another's eyes, as they always do at the end of their dance._

_"You said Hamel tried to seduce you," he murmurs in her ear. Small tingles creep up her spine._

_"Yes…" she breathes. "I couldn't stand it."_

_"You have no idea," he whispers, "how glad I am to hear that."_

_His cheek rubs against hers as he moves his head, and she realizes that the kiss, the one she's been wanting for eight years but has never gotten, not even in dreams, is going to happen. _

_"Jareth…" she says, but then her words are cut off. His kiss is soft on her mouth, and only lasts for a moment, but it's one of the best she's ever had._

_As he pulls back, she murmurs, "Why haven't you ever done that before?"_

_He quirks a smile at her. "You were never _really_ sure you wanted me to, even in dreams…and so I couldn't until you were sure. It is…nice…to know that your feelings have changed."_

_It's hard to think, with him still near and holding her. She isn't sure she's ready to deal with this set of new possibilities, particularly with everything else. "Jareth – we, um, we might want to take it slow…we both have a lot to do…"_

_He searches her face, and nods. "Very well, then – we shall go our separate ways for now, into our separate dreams, and I will see you in the morning. But this is not over, Sarah."_

_"No." She smiles at him, reaching up to touch his face. "It's not over by a long shot."_


	7. Chapter 7: In Which Breakfast Is Served

_A/N: Thanks to all me lovely readers and reviewers for their patience! I realize things have been a bit slow, but this should be the last chapter of setup/exposition, and I shall be reordering time very shortly here to speed things along and get to the exciting bits. Oh yes, also, thanks to GenkaiFan for pointing out a chance at humor that I missed! -PC_

_

* * *

_

In the morning, Sarah rose early from the sinfully comfortable bed, and dressed in the clothes she'd worn into the Underground. Somehow, she was unsurprised to see that her garments, hung in the closet overnight, had been thoroughly cleaned and had a faint scent of lemon. _This wouldn't be a bad thing to get used to,_ she mused.

She had just finished dressing when there was a knock on her door, and a guard she didn't recognize poked his head in. "My lady? There are some folk here to see you."

_That must be Hoggle and Didymus. _"Please send them in." The guard bowed and disappeared.

A moment later, her friends came in, looking relieved. "It is good to find you safe, my lady," Didymus greeted her.

"When we got the King's message, we were a little worried, but since he said he'd seen you…" Hoggle trailed off.

"I'm fine," Sarah reassured them.

"Did His Majesty tell you what you must do for him?" asked Didymus.

At the question, Sarah proceeded to tell them everything that the King had told her. She glossed over the details of her supper with Hamel, so as not to worry her friends, seeing that her talk of the Challenge was already worrying them enough.

"It is certain that you must go alone, my lady?" Didymus asked, when she had finally finished.

"That's what the King said, anyway," she sighed. _It almost seems easy, now that I look back on it, but the first time through, I had so much help. I'd give almost anything to have one of them with me this time._

"How much can Hamel change the Labyrinth, anyway?" Hoggle asked. "Maybe I could, uh, tell you a few of the shortcuts…"

Sarah shook her head. "The King said that Hamel would take full control of the Labyrinth. He can completely change it, I guess. The only rules are that it can't be impossible and that he can't kill me."

"I'm sure that's a relief," Hoggle grumbled.

In answer, Sarah's stomach growled, and the three of them laughed. "I'm supposed to eat breakfast with the King," she mentioned.

"We'll go with you, then," Hoggle said. "Maybe he has more for us to do."

* * *

Jareth had kept his word, and the spread that covered his small dining table was comprised entirely of human food – eggs, pastries, bacon, sausage, juices, fruit, and a variety of other dishes, which made Sarah's mouth water the moment she saw them.

She clapped her hands in delight. "That's what I call keeping a promise!"

Hoggle and Didymus had hung back near the door, almost shyly. The King gravely inclined his head at them. "My thanks to you both, Heggle – "

" - Hoggle – "

" – and Sir Didymus, for bringing Sarah to me," Jareth finished. "I assure you, when all this…unpleasantness…is over, both of you will be amply rewarded for your help."

Hoggle actually blushed, and Didymus made a bow so low Sarah feared he'd bruise his nose on the floor. "We humbly thank you for your generosity, Your Majesty."

"Indeed. Now, please excuse us; my Champion and I must consult further."

Still bowing, Didymus backed towards the door, which he promptly banged into. The resulting clang alerted the guards to open it, and he backed out, continuing to bow. Hoggle made a somewhat more dignified exit.

When they were alone, the King gazed at Sarah, his hand resting on the back of his chair, a faint smile on his lips. "Did you sleep well, my Champion?"

She blushed, embarrassed – and then blushed harder, embarrassed about being embarrassed. "Yes, thank you," she mumbled to the floor.

"Please, sit. While we eat, we can discuss one of the things that is most important to make sure you succeed."

"What, my biting wit?" She took a seat, and began filling her plate.

The King sat across from her. "I was thinking more of the help I am allowed to give you. Not – " he held up a hand "- that I am saying you can't do it without, or that you _need_ my help. But I do know Hamel, quite well I think, and I have some idea as to what he might come up with for you to encounter in the Labyrinth. That being the case, hopefully, we can make some parts easier for you."

Sarah nodded as she dug into a casserole of scrambled eggs, cubed potatoes, red peppers, onions, and cheese. It tasted wonderful. "What did you have in mind?"

"Do you remember that peach I gave to Hoggle, for you?"

"All too well," she drawled, sending him a mock glare across the table. Jareth chuckled.

"I see you do. Very well, then: when I crafted that peach, Hamel was much in my thoughts. He was – and most likely, still is – extremely fond of tricks of that nature. You should be prepared for nearly any form of food or drink to be dangerous for you, and so therefore, I would make this my first gift to you."

The King pulled out a small brown leather pouch. The top was a drawstring, and the strings were long enough to easily tie to a belt.

He handed it to Sarah across the table, and she took it, opening the top and peering inside. "There's nothing in here, though…"

"Reach in," he encouraged her. "Pull out the first thing you touch."

Skeptically, she did so, and was surprised when her hand encountered a soft, round object. She pulled it out, and in her hand was a peeled orange, ready to be eaten.

"Try again," the King said. She did, removing a handful of what looked like dried beef jerky.

"Convinced?" he asked, with a hint of a satisfied smirk.

"Yes," she grinned. "One question though – what about water?"

"Tip the pouch above your mouth, and shake it twice."

Following his instructions, Sarah lifted the pouch and shook it, and a thin stream of cool water ran into her mouth. She swallowed, relishing the clean, fresh taste, and realized Jareth hadn't told her how to turn it off.

He seemed to realize the same thing at the same moment. "Shake it again, once, to stop the water."

"All right, that's a really good idea," she admitted, once the pouch was safely closed again and lying on the table.

"I'm glad you think so." Jareth folded his arms across his chest and looked enormously pleased with himself.

"How did you make it, though? You said Hamel had placed limits on your magic…"

"He did, but his spells cannot bind me when I am preparing for the Challenge. Part of the nature of the Challenge is a test of the deposed ruler's abilities, so they must be allowed to demonstrate their full range. And that range, my dear – when it comes to me – is very great, indeed."

_This_ was more like the Jareth she knew. Apparently playing with magic was helping him regain his confidence. _And arrogance…but then again, he's almost more fun when he's being an arrogant jerk._

"What did you have in mind for the other two?" she asked, munching on the orange from the pouch.

Jareth took a large bite of a pastry. "You will need some sort of weapon," he mused. "Is there anything that you are comfortable with?"

She shrugged. "I shot a bow in gym class, a few times…"

"Jim class?" The King raised an eyebrow.

"Never mind…" She shook her head. "It'd take too long to explain."

"Very well…in that case, I believe a short sword would serve you best. I will lay some of the usual enchantments on it – I cannot make you invulnerable or invincible, but I can make the sword able to cut through anything, and perhaps there are one or two other spells that might prove useful."

"Whatever you think," she mumbled around a mouthful of bacon.

"The third gift is somewhat more difficult. I cannot enchant anything to show you the best way out of the maze, or to make the trip go faster: seven-league boots or some such. Have you had any thoughts?"

"Not really. I mean…well, I have no idea what's going to be in there, so…"

Jareth frowned, his brow creasing. "Indeed. Hmmm. Perhaps an invisibility charm? That might prove quite useful, especially if Hamel still has the love of monsters he did when we were younger. I will make the charm something easy to wear; a necklace or a bracelet."

Sarah paused to consider. At first glance, her arsenal from Jareth sounded pretty pathetic: a bag of food, a sword, and a necklace. She had a feeling, though, that Jareth was much more limited in what he was allowed to do for her than he was saying, and that these gifts were at the very limit of what he could give. _And really, what else would I need?_

At that thought, she looked up. "Am I allowed to bring anything else with me into the maze?"

"Within reason, yes, anything you like. What did you have in mind?"

"Some non-magical practical stuff; string, flashlight, marker, those kind of things."

"The judges will need to approve everything before you enter the Labyrinth, but there should be no problem with any of those items."

"Good. Wait – judges? What judges?"

Jareth looked surprised. "Well, of course there will be judges as to whether the Challenge is successfully met. You wouldn't expect Hamel or I to deliver a fair and unbiased opinion, would you?"

"Guess not," she muttered. "So who judges?"

"A committee of three, selected at random from the ruling class. Most, if not all, of them will be present."

"You didn't tell me this was going to be a spectator sport," Sarah grumbled.

'Would it have made a difference if I had?"

"Good point." Sarah finished the last bite of food on her plate and stood up. "I should probably let you work…"

"Indeed. The Challenge is in two days…and I do not want to rush anything. Will you come back this evening, for supper?"

She was startled by the almost plaintive tone to his voice. "Yes, of course."

"Thank you." The King smiled – on another man, she would have sworn he was being shy. "It gets rather…lonely…up here."

Moved to boldness by his admission, she took his hand, squeezing it gently. "I'll be back tonight, I promise. You still have a lot to tell me!"

He laughed at that, and lifted their entwined hands to his lips, kissing hers as before. "Yes, I do. Very well. Until tonight, my Champion."

They gazed at each other for a moment. Very slowly, and very gently, they leaned in towards one another, and the kiss that had been a dream the night before became reality. As before, it was soft and sweet and only lasted a moment…but it was the best kiss of Sarah's life.

When they drew apart, Jareth sighed, and frowned. "It is becoming increasingly difficult for me to think that I am the one sending you into danger."

"Hey. I said I'd do this, right? The fact that we're – " _Oh, dear, and what do I call this, now?_ " – attracted to one another doesn't change anything. All it does is make me slightly less insane for agreeing to it in the first place."

"You do have a point there, my dear Champion." Absently, he reached up and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I shall see you tonight."

"Yes, you shall."


	8. Chapter 8: In Which The Challenge Begins

_A/N: Well, the reordering of time didn't go quite as I planned, so the action won't really get going till the next chapter (although I have to confess I've always thought one of the marks of a good story is that it's smarter than its author, so I'm not displeased!). I'm not entirely happy with the dream sequence that starts this chapter, but I did want to update, as I'm going to be very very very busy for the next week or so. I'll probably end up tweaking this chapter a bit and then reposting it when the next update comes along. Thanks again to all my wonderful readers and reviewers, it is MUCH appreciated! -PC_

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_She's staring up at an intricate, carved ceiling, which has the faintest sheen of silver. She stretches, yawning, finding herself lying on a deep, thick mattress and piles of satiny sheets. Her head rests on a mountain of soft, plushy pillows. This is heaven, or something close to it._

_She rolls over to find herself an inch away from a pair of smiling, mismatched eyes, and yelps, scooting across the bed._

_Jareth sits up. "Sarah, it's all right – it's me."_

_She's realized this even before the sentence is out of his mouth, and settles back, catching her breath. "You scared me!"_

_"I am sorry. I thought we might enjoy a change of scenery tonight…but perhaps I should have begun us in the ballroom, as you are used to."_

_"It's all right." She lifts herself on an elbow and looks around. The color scheme of the room is similar to her guest room, primarily blue and silver, but there are many more personal touches. "Is this…your room?"_

_"Indeed." The King shifts himself, propping up his torso against the mounds of pillows. "I thought you might like to see it."_

_"They put me in a room that looks a lot like this."_

_"Ah, yes. That would be the royal guest chamber; I put visiting family in that room. My mother is particularly fond of it. You will meet her tomorrow."_

_"Your…you have parents?"_

_The King looked at her like she'd grown a second head. "Of course I have parents. Do you not?"_

_She colored, avoiding his gaze. "Point."_

_"I confess I am not looking forward to being brought before my parents in chains, but I shall look on it as part of my penance."_

_She doesn't know what to say to that. Instead, she looks around the room some more. Jareth reaches over and touches her hand. "Sarah, I must apologize again. I should not be complaining to you; you will have far more to face tomorrow than I."_

_She swallows hard. "Don't remind me."_

_He smiles ruefully. "At least you'll have a good night's sleep tonight. That much I can do for you."_

_The silence grows heavy; they are both lost in their own thoughts. She plays with the bed sheet. "Jareth?"_

_"Hmmm?"_

_"What happens…after the Challenge?"_

_"Assuming you succeed, I will take back my throne, and proceed to make sure Hamel can never do this again." He smiles vengefully._

_"Right. I got that part. I mean…well…would you…um…should I…" She gulps._

_"Would I like you to stay?" he finishes. She nods rapidly, grateful that he found the words she couldn't._

_Jareth takes his turn playing with the bed sheet. "I would like you to," he says quietly, "but I believe we have enough on our minds at the moment. Perhaps that is a subject better reserved for when all this is over."_

_The part of her that has been hoping for vows of unending devotion and the like is disappointed, but her more logical side knows that he is right. "You have a point, there."_

_Her disappointment must show on her face, for he speaks to her very gently. "Do not forget what I said first, Sarah. I would like you to stay."_

_She had forgetten, and smiles. "Right. Thanks for the reminder."_

_He reaches over and pulls her against him, her body sliding easily over the satin sheets. "So, what shall we do for the rest of the night?"_

_She raises an eyebrow. "It looks like you have a few ideas…"_

_"Perhaps." He presses a soft kiss against her lips, and nibbles her ear. "Have you ever made love in a dream before?"_

_"N-no…" She has trouble concentrating. "But…"_

_"But?" He's kissing her neck now, his voice muffled._

_With a strength of will she was not previously aware of, Sarah sits up, away from Jareth's lips and hands. "Jareth, not this way."_

_"What?" He lies on the pillows, looking up at her incredulously. Her courage abruptly deserts her, and she is once again tongue-tied._

_"I…I want it to be real," she fumbles. "I mean, call me crazy, or old-fashioned, or whatever, but …well, I'd just like it to be real, the first time. After that, in dreams is OK, but I want the first time to be us awake, with our real bodies."_

_He is slowly nodding as she muddles through her explanation. "You are right," he says, when she finishes. "As much as I want you, you are right."_

_She's a little stunned at his agreement. "I am?"_

_"Indeed. Beginning in a dream would be a poor beginning. Perhaps, once the Challenge is over, we can begin the right way."_

_Relieved, she rewards him with a long, soft kiss._

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* * *

_

She woke to the calling of some far-off rooster; in the city, she guessed. The sun was just creeping up over the castle walls, bathing the courtyard in pink and gold light, as the rooster continued to crow. _Morning._

Rising, Sarah dressed in her Aboveground clothes, and a pair of thick, heavy boots from the closet. She tied the black leather pouch to her belt, and slung her sword belt over her shoulder – Jareth had crafted it to be worn on her back. Her necklace of invisibility she stuffed into a pocket, to be ready when it was needed, and pulled her backpack on over the sword.

She took a look at herself in the full-length mirror. _Well, I'm as ready as I'm ever going to be._

Breakfast was laid out in the small dining room, but the hall itself was empty. Sarah loaded a plate for herself, waving off the servants, and sat down to eat. Her stomach was fluttering nervously, but she forced herself to keep chewing and swallowing – she knew she would need her energy.

As she picked at the food, her thoughts turned back to the last two days. She had eaten her meals with Jareth, and between them she had walked the outer gardens of the Labyrinth; sometimes alone, sometimes with her friends. Jareth had been busy crafting his last two gifts to her, and she hadn't wanted to disturb him. During their meals, they had talked more about what she might encounter in the Labyrinth, and the best ways to deal with some of those things.

They had also exchanged more than a few kisses, most of them still relatively shy. His…invitation…to her in the dream had come as something of a surprise, but… _I certainly can't deny that I want the man! In dreams or not!_

She stood by what she'd said to him though; reality was a much better plan. _And wandering around the brand-new Labyrinth in a daze of afterglow is not exactly what I need right now._

Sighing, she faced that fact that her breakfast was about as done as it was going to her, and stood up, pushing the plate away.

She approached one of the guards at the entrance to the hall. "Do you know where I should go now?"

"The courtyard, my lady," he replied. "Follow me."

* * *

With how empty the castle was, Sarah was shocked at the spectacle that awaited her. A huge throng of people milled in the castle courtyard, moving around tables laid with a huge assortment of dishes. They nibbled from small crystal plates, drank from tall glasses, and were all gaily dressed. She felt very out of place in her comfortable jeans and T-shirt.

She looked beyond the crowd, to the Labyrinth's entrance. A long straight path was bordered with flaming torches, and the path led directly into the Labyrinth, ending in a T-shaped divide. Flowers were scattered over the hard-packed dust of the path.

Suddenly, Hamel was at her elbow. True to his word, she hadn't seen him in the past three days.

She hadn't missed him.

"Ah-ha, the Champion is awake!" He bowed to her. "And how are you feeling this morning, my dear?"

"Fine, thank you."

"Excellent." He rubbed his hands together. "We want you feeling your _very_ best today, of course."

She gestured to the crowd. "Where did they all come from?"

"Most journeyed from their own lands early this morning." He smiled nastily. "This is something that no one wanted to miss."

He clapped his hands together loudly, and the throng began to move towards a large silver cauldron that had been set up at the center of the courtyard.

"What are they doing?"

"Choosing lots," Hamel answered. "There are enough stones for every one of my guests; three are black, and the rest are white. The three who draw black stones will judge the Challenge." He gestured to a row of three carved wooden chairs, draped in swags of fabric and gilded. Before the chairs was a small table. "You might as well wait there, they will be speaking to you right away."

Three of the guests were walking up the stairs, and Sarah took the time to observe them. One was an older lady, her silver hair caught up in an elaborate arrangement of braids and curls that made Sarah's head hurt just looking at it. The second was a man who looked about the age of Jareth and Hamel; his hair was dark brown, and he was dressed in loose, flowing clothing of mottled browns, greens, and greys.

The third judge looked like an older version of Jareth. _This has to be his father…_has_ to be. How is that going to work?_

The judges seated themselves at the table, and Hamel clapped his hands again. "Honored guests!" he announced. The crowd turned as one to look at him.

"I'd like to thank you all for coming today. At this time, let me introduce to you our judges for this most important event.

"Anaath, our most honored great-aunt, former ruler of the Sea Folk." The silver-haired woman rose and bowed, then re-seated herself.

"Caledon, our cousin, heir to the rulership of the Tree Spirits." Caledon was the dark-haired man, who also rose and bowed.

"And finally, our uncle, Sindreth, formerly the Goblin King, who also happens to be our cousin Jareth's father."

_I was right – that is Jareth's father. They look enough alike to be brothers. And he doesn't look very happy right now…_

"Please, continue to enjoy yourselves – the Challenge will begin shortly," Hamel finished.

The judges turned their attention to Sarah, who was still standing before the table. "Is this the Champion?" asked Anaath, the older woman.

"Indeed it is, Aunt," Hamel answered, as he stepped up to the table. She fixed him with a glare.

"We shall not be needing you for the moment, Hamel," she informed him. "See to your guests, and we shall tell you when you may strut yourself about again."

Sarah amused herself for a moment by imagining Anaath calling Hamel a "whippersnapper". It wasn't a difficult image to summon.

Hamel, displeased and showing it, moved off, and Anaath settled herself back in her seat. "So, Champion – do you have a name?"

"Sarah," she said, bowing, and added uncertainly, "my lady."

"Well," she sniffed. "At least my nephew had the sense to pick someone polite. Not that that's likely to do you any good. Have you been explained the rules of the Challenge, child?"

"Yes ma'am," she nodded.

"You will have thirteen hours to solve the Labyrinth. Time will be kept here, although I recommend you attempt to keep track as well." She sniffed again. "Sindreth, if you would?"

Jareth's father made a gesture, and the clock that Sarah remembered so well appeared in midair, behind the judges' table.

"Sindreth is Jareth's father, as you may have hear that little popinjay explaining. Therefore he will be managing the magic needed, as he is already most familiar with it."

"We will need to examine the gifts that Jareth gave you, and anything else you wish to take with you into the Labyrinth," Caledon interjected. His voice was like water tumbling over smooth rocks, and it instantly had a calming effect on Sarah.

She unslung her backpack, and emptied out the contents on the table. While the judges were looking at the twine, marker, and other oddments, she put down the pouch, sword, and necklace.

The three judges nodded to one another. "All of these are acceptable to us," Anaath said, indicating the items from Sarah's backpack; she seemed to have appointed herself the head judge. While Sarah reloaded her backpack, they began examining Jareth's gifts.

This process took longer. In particular, Sindreth seemed intrigued with the sword, running his hand up and down the blade and muttering words. When Anaath and Caledon were finished with the pouch and the necklace, Anaath looked at him inquiringly.

"Sindreth? Is the sword acceptable?"

"It is well-crafted, to be sure," he murmured. "My son has evidently learned a few things in his time as King. Yes," he said, louder, "the sword is permissible."

"Very well," Anaath announced. "You have nothing else, child, that we would need to see?" Sarah shook her head.

"As you will, then. Nephew!"

Hamel reappeared at the table. "Aunt?"

"We have examined all of the Champion's items and found them allowable under the rules of the Challenge. You may resume your display."

Hamel gritted his teeth and bowed. "Thank you, Aunt."

Hamel stepped to the center of the landing, and clapped his hands once more. "Honored guests! May I present to you my recently deposed cousin, Jareth, the Goblin King!"

Sarah caught her breath as Jareth was led out. He was dressed finely, in dark blue and black, and his hair was carefully combed. He looked magnificent and defiant.

Destroying the defiant image, though, were the heavy shackles that encircled each wrist. The chain between them looked to be about a foot long, allowing for small movement but not much else.

He stood, proud, as Hamel blathered on about taking the throne by right of conquest and some other such nonsense. At the judges table, Anaath looked annoyed, Caledon looked bored, and Sindreth, Jareth's father, looked like he'd eaten something bad for breakfast.

Sarah, for her part, had made eye contact with Jareth and couldn't look away. He seemed to be sending her strength and courage through his eyes. _And I need every scrap of it._

Finally Hamel finished his drone, and Jareth was led to another chair, this one with iron rings set in the arms. His shackles were quickly chained to these rings, pinning him to the chair.

"Sarah, Champion of Jareth," Hamel boomed, "you may receive the good will of your King."

Sarah crossed the landing to kneel at Jareth's feet. _This is certainly the way it's done, all right._

She looked up at him, and spoke the only words that would come to her lips. "I won't fail you."

He smiled, and inclined his head. "I know you will not."

With that brief exchange, she stood. "I'm ready to go."

Hamel smirked in her and Jareth's general direction for a moment; perhaps he was aiming at both of them. "Then let the Challenge begin."

Sindreth stood from behind the judges' table. A crystal was at his fingertips, and he threw it into the center of the courtyard. In mid-flight, the crystal stopped, and began growing, to become a huge crystal ball on a silver pedestal.

"This will allow the assembly to view the Challenge as it takes place," Anaath intoned. "Time shall begin when the Champion enters the Labyrinth. Fare you well."

Knowing she would be watched the entire time took away some of Sarah's courage. Nevertheless, she shifted her backpack on her shoulders, and, with a final look at Jareth, clattered down the steps and onto the packed dirt road that led into the Labyrinth. In what seemed like no time at all, the path ended, and in front of her was the first choice. _Would I go left, or right?_

She took the fork to the right, and as her boot touched the cobblestone floor of the Labyrinth proper, she heard a great gonging sound behind her. Anaath's voice carried from the courtyard.

"The Challenge has begun!"


	9. Chapter 9: In Which It Is Hot and Wet

_A/N: Thanks for your patience, everyone! I had a temporary job to do over the 4th of July, in addition to my regular one, and then I had this little thing to do called getting married...so it's been a busy month! I should be updating much more regularly now. -PC_

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_**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the Labyrinth movie.**

She walked down the corridor of the Labyrinth slowly, taking in the unfamiliar view. This Labyrinth was paved in cobblestones, and her thick-soled boots made a muffled clicking sound as she walked.

The walls were covered in vines, and they filled the air with a fresh green scent. Sarah hated to admit it, but her first impression of Hamel's Labyrinth was a lot better than her first impression of Jareth's.

Sarah stopped for a minute, and squared her shoulders. She'd given the Challenge a lot of thought over the past three days, and was no closer to finding a simple solution to it than she'd been at the beginning.

_I'm just going to have to try my hardest,_ she thought, craning her neck over the walls to try and find something, _anything_, on the outskirts of the Labyrinth walls, to use as a landmark. _Of course, for all I know, Hamel could have put an enchantment in place to make the sky I see look completely different from what it is. There goes that idea._

She stopped as her feet bumped wall, and her nose was tickled by vines. She'd hit a dead end – quite literally.

The path turned to the left. She followed it, and stopped short. Sweat beaded on her forehead.

The path led a short distance into an open dead end. There was room to move about, but the problem – what made her stop and think instead of turning around – was that the walls of the dead end were made of fire. The air shimmered with heat, and the fire, self-feeding, crackled and snapped merrily.

_OK, I've got to think. There are two possibilities here. The obvious one is that this is real, to prevent me from going this way…but why waste the magic? Why put fire here that looks and feels real, instead of just a wall? Doesn't seem likely. Second possibility: It's not real. Well, there's an easy way to find that out._

Sarah carefully drew the sword from its sheath on her back. Tentatively, she extended it, into the nearest of the walls, and pulled it back. Touching the tip of her finger to the sword, she very quickly confirmed that the wall was real fire.

"Ow!"

She sucked on her burned finger and glared at the wall. "Well, that can't be the way to pass," she grumbled. "It's against the rules to kill me."

_Until I'm sure this isn't the way to go, I don't want to waste time backtracking. Is there something I haven't thought of?_

_Yes. Yes, there is._

She extended the sword once more, into another of the walls, and settled for a visual examination of the tip. It smoked and radiated heat; this wall was real as well.

Once more, into the third wall. This time, the point of the sword didn't smoke, wasn't hot…and when she touched it, didn't burn.

"It's illusion!" she cried gleefully. "I figured it out!"

_Third possibility: A mix of the two. Real walls, and fake walls. So I can go this way, but I have to figure out which walls are safe to walk through._

Carefully, Sarah extended one finger. She felt heat coming from the wall, and yet her finger touched it, and did not burn.

She took a deep breath. _Here goes nothing._

"YAAAH!" Sarah leapt through the wall, half-expecting to be scorched within an inch of her life…

..and passed through, safely, feeling nothing but a light tickling.

She landed on her feet in another room, with all four walls made of fire. _Great. Here we go again…_

_

* * *

_

It felt like hours before she was finally out of the fire maze. The process had been agonizing – every wall had to be tested with her sword, and her mental concentration had to stay sharp, remembering the direction she had come from. Sarah was exhausted.

After breaking through the last of the fire walls, she found herself in a dark, dank forest, that reminded her of the land around the Bog of Eternal stench. Her feet sank partway into the thick, squishy moss, and the mist that hung low over the land obscured her vision, making it incredibly difficult to see more than two feet in front of her.

Sarah decided, for the moment, not to try. With some difficulty, she crawled up a huge tree root and perched herself atop it, attempting to stay dry. She untied the small black pouch from her belt, and reached into it, hoping that some food and water would help revive her.

She allowed herself – by her best guess – fifteen minutes to rest, and then stood back up, teetering on the tree root. Hmm. She _did_ feel better.

Brushing the dirt off her jeans, Sarah set off again. She plodded through the marshy forest, pushing aside dripping vines and branches. The mist continued, and, simply put, she had _nothing_ to orient herself on. All she could do was to hope that she was heading in a roughly straight line. _There's got to be a way to figure this out._

* * *

_Back at the castle…_

The guests had begun milling around again, alternately eating and drinking, and watching the giant crystal in the center of the courtyard.

Hamel lolled in his chair, watching the crystal. The Champion had just worked her way through his fire maze – Hamel was mildly disappointed, but not surprised. If she'd turned back and gone the other way, she would have fallen into a trap sufficient to keep her occupied for the rest of the Challenge, but she'd mastered his cousin's Labyrinth: she was too clever to fall for such a simple trick. He wasn't worried; he had other puzzles up his sleeve.

Now she was slowly winding her way through one of his forests. This one would be interested; the fire maze had spit her out somewhat farther along the path than he'd intended, but that was all right. The place where she'd ended up would only speed along her ultimate failure.

As Sarah came to an opening in the trees, the mist around her began to clear. Hamel, and his guests, paid closer attention to the crystal. They watched as she stepped into the clearing, and saw the small river – barely a creek - running through it.

Hamel knew she would have been warned. He had been careful.

Jareth sat up straighter in his chair. He saw the river. He knew it for what it was – and knew its danger to his Champion.

"She won't drink from it," he hissed at Hamel. "I warned her. She won't let anything in your Labyrinth pass her lips."

Hamel smiled, baring his fangs momentarily. "Did you think I did not know that? I don't _need_ her to drink from it, cousin. The moment a drop touches her skin, she will begin to lose her memory – until, right about when she's lost herself in the tunnels, she will forget you. Then all we need do is wait."

Jareth stared at the crystal. "She'll go around," he mumbled, half to convince himself. "She won't be fooled by you."

"I'm afraid there is no "around". Unfortunately for your Champion, she must cross the river in order to progress."

Jareth swallowed hard. He'd gotten a decent look at the marshy forest through his father's crystal; there was no way for Sarah to cross the River Lethe without getting wet.

He swung in his chair to face the judges' table, as much as his chains would permit.

"This is against the rules!" he appealed, to three faces that were uniformly stone. "He's made it impossible. She cannot pass this area and continue."

Anaath looked at the crystal, and then from Hamel to Jareth. "Freeze time, Sindreth," she ordered. "The appeal has merit."

Sindreth pointed at the clock. The action around them slowed, and stopped. Sarah's image on the crystal halted.

The three judges conferred amongst themselves. Jareth stopped breathing. Hamel looked angry. They were the only beings moving, in a sea of stopped time.

"We find," Anaath announced finally, "that you, Hamel, have carried out a limited violation of the rules. Limited because, while seemingly impossible, there is marginal room for the Champion to escape your trap and continue. However, we judge that the allowed escape is _too_ marginal to be deemed fair under our laws. Therefore, you must either change the nature of this obstacle, or provide another way for it to be overcome. So do we judge."

Hamel glowered at his cousins, his aunt, his uncle, and then subsided, sinking gracefully into his chair. "So be it," he murmured. "I will alter the landscape of the forest; all up to this point will remain as it is, yet I will add the River Mnemosyne, after the crossing of the Lethe. If the Champion reaches it, and either drinks from it or touches the water, her memory will be restored. Does this suffice?"

"No!" Jareth leapt from his chair and was abruptly slammed back down in it, pulled by his chains. He caught his breath, unable to speak, as the judges conferred.

"We find this acceptable," Anaath announced finally.

Jareth's head hung, as his father restarted time.

* * *

_In the Labyrinth…_

Sarah approached the river cautiously, mindful of Jareth's warnings not to eat or drink anything within the Labyrinth. This was the first variation of landscape that she'd seen since coming into the forest; therefore, she reasoned, she should keep going. _Maybe crossing it will finally get me out of here!_

She looked from one end of the clearing to the other, finding the narrowest point, and taking baby steps to the very edge. _I should be able to leap across here, if I get a good start. _

Backing up again, she took a deep breath, and ran towards the riverbank. Her left foot touched the mud at the very edge, and she leapt, catapulting herself into the air.

She almost made it. Her right foot landed on a patch of mud, and she slid, her arms pinwheeling for balance as she struggled to get both feet under her. In the process, she fell, twisting, and her arms crashed down onto the ground.

Her right arm was closest to the river. It was so close, really; the tip of her middle finger just barely brushed the water. It was enough.

Sarah got up, slowly. _Where am I?_


	10. Chapter 10: In Which Sarah Dances

_A/N: Thanks to all of my Constant Readers, and my new ones who find their way here! It gives me encouragement and motivation to keep spinning my story when I receive those reviews out of the blue. Anyways, here's more. A big piece of the puzzle in regards to the Challenge fell into place in my head this morning, so look for more updates coming soon! Also a formatting note: Since the break lines aren't working, I've put everything that takes place back at the castle in bold. Not great, but it works for now. -PC  
_

She looked around at the forest, taking in the surroundings, and then looked down at herself. She was covered in mud – _how did that happen?_ – and disheveled, and felt tired and sore.

Hesitantly, she took a step away from the river. _I remember entering the Labyrinth…but how did I get this far? I don't remember anything past that first turn…_

**Jareth stared at the crystal. She was moving so slowly! "Hurry, Sarah…" he muttered under his breath. "You're got to hurry!"**

Slowly she walked away from the river, peering hesitantly through the mist-shrouded trees. She took her time, stepping carefully, unaware that with every step, every breath, each heartbeat…something more was stolen from her.

Her left foot hit the ground, a step like any other. In that moment, the memory of her return to the Labyrinth was erased.

_Where am I? I feel so…strange…like I'm not in a place that's real. Wait! That's it! This isn't real! _

She laughed, twirling around in the squishy moss, pleased with herself for having figured it out. "I'm dreaming! I'm dreaming!"

Since she was dreaming, there was no reason to keep silent, and Sarah talked to herself as she walked. "I bet I'm dreaming of the Labyrinth! That's right, this is the Labyrinth, and any minute now, Jareth will pop out from behind a tree…oh…and we'll dance…"

Unaware of time passing, uncaring of the strange forest and the clinging mist, Sarah wrapped her arms around herself. She waltzed herself between the trees, lost in what she believed was her favorite dream. "Da da…da DA da…da DA da…"

**Jareth's fingers curled and bit into the stone arms of his chair. He growled fruitlessly, an undertone to the faint clanks of the chains that accompanied his restless movements.**

**Hamel glanced over at his cousin, and grinned, baring his fangs briefly. "Something the matter, coz?"**

**"Nothing at all," Jareth ground out. "I'm simply impatient for this farce to be over and you to be banished to whatever punishment my Champion and I can devise for you."**

**"Don't be so sure of yourself," Hamel murmured. "By my count, your little Champion is just about to waltz into the tender arms of one of my _very_ favorite friends…"**

**Jareth still had his power. He caught the barest glimpse of a thought from Hamel's exceedingly satisfied mind. "No," he whispered. "You…no, it's not…"**

**"Precisely, my dear coz. Precisely."**

Sarah stumbled along farther into the forest, laughing wildly as she peeked behind each tree. "Jareth! I'm here! Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

As the echo of her voice died away, she thought she heard a sound…like a snuffle, or a snort. It seemed to be coming from her left…

She dashed in that direction. "Jareth!"

Now there were footsteps, quick and light…just as if they belonged to a lithe, slender Goblin King. "Jareth! I'm over here!"

**Jareth hung his head, staring into his lap. He couldn't look.**

She darted around a tree, and there he was.

Staring at her with his mismatched eyes. Jareth.

Sarah flung her arms wide. "Jareth!"

The King watched her as she came closer, not speaking. He opened his arms, and she rushed into them, feeling herself being enfolded tightly. The fabric of his sleeves rustled as he cuddled her into his chest.

Sarah looked up at him. "Jareth…it's been so long since I've dreamed of you…"

And for her, it had been. The water of the river Lethe continued to eat at Sarah's memory, stealing her life away one moment at a time, even as the King extended his hand and began to lead her in their waltz.

Music filled her mind, and she followed his lead. They danced between the trees, their feet sinking in the moss, and Sarah looked up at him, watching adoringly.

**His eyes burned. He couldn't breathe. His heart was either not beating at all or beating too fast; he couldn't tell. To his right, Hamel smirked, eyes never leaving the crystal.**

They were moving quickly through the forest. "Jareth, where are we going?" she asked, noticing the trees beginning to thin out. "Can we go back to the castle, beyond the Goblin City?"

He did not answer her, but continued to dance her along. The moss grew firmer under their feet, and was gradually replaced by dirt, and then by cobblestones.

The trees abruptly ended, and in front of them was the yawning mouth of a cave, pitch-black inside. Sarah looked at it with trepidation, releasing her hold on Jareth's hand, and peering into the blackness. "Is that the way to the castle?"

The King, in silence, took her arm again, only this time his grip was hard and painful, his fingers biting into her skin. "Jareth!" she gasped. "Stop! You're hurting me!"

He never spoke, only dragged her towards the mouth of the cave. She wrenched at his hand, attempting to get free, the spell of love broken and leaving only fear in its place. Yet her struggles were of no good, and he continued to drag her. The cave was only a few feet away.

Perhaps they had waltzed too long through the forest. Perhaps the seconds spent by the river and the minutes of her search through the trees had all added up to that tiny, crucial miscalculation which might save her. In any case, at the moment when Sarah realized that she wasn't going to be able to get herself free by force, the water of the Lethe drank up her last – first - memory of Jareth, the Goblin King.

Sarah realized suddenly that there was a stranger holding her arm, and went limp with fright, her feet skidding under her. The tall, blond stranger lost his balance as she slipped, and his grip on her arm lessened.

She instantly pushed away, slipping again on the stones before recovering her balance, and dashed into the trees, away from the circle of black that the stranger had evidently been intending to throw her into. Behind her, she heard a bellow of rage, followed by a long, chilling roar.

Fleeing a little farther into the forest, Sarah paused for breath, then looked down, feeling a tickling on her leg. A thin silver chain was dangling from her pants pocket, and from the chain swung a small crystal pendant – it was this that had been hitting her leg and producing the tickling.

_Pretty…jewelry…I like jewelry, I should wear it!_

Having lost any memory that would tell her it was ridiculous to stop and put jewelry on at that moment, she pulled the necklace from her pocket and slipped it over her head.

For a few seconds, she admired the pendant resting on her chest. Her reverie was abruptly shattered, by a much-closer roar, and she dove down behind the thick tree, peeking out cautiously.

The ground rumbled, and a moment later, a huge monster came thundering through the trees. It was shaped almost like a bull, but not quite – the arms were human and awful, and the creature walked upon two legs. It shoved tree branches aside as it plowed through, grunting.

The creature peered around and snuffled, passing so close to Sarah's tree that her heart stopped. After a few minutes, it crashed onward.

She let out a breath, slowly, as the noise of the creature faded into the distance, and looked around her for a moment. _Wait – what was that?_

Cautiously, she crept out from behind the tree. A sparkle in the distance had caught her eye, and she moved towards it, staying carefully behind the trees.

The sparkle turned out to be a river - wide and fast, and clear of trees all around - and Sarah realized how thirsty she was. There was only one problem…

The bull creature was lying right between her and the water.


	11. Chapter 11: In Which Sarah Goes Swimming

_A/N: Again, my apologies for the delay. Hopefully this will appease me poor readers! Thanks again for all the awesome reviews. -PC_

* * *

She huddled behind her tree, her heart pounding at the sight of the bull creature. Though it hadn't even crossed her mind before, the sound of the river water rushing by was a continuous reminder of her thirst, and her throat seemed to be getting drier with every passing second. 

Carefully, Sarah edged herself around the tree, and made a quick, scuttling dash to the tree beside her. The moss squished under her feet.

The bull's nostrils flared. It lumbered to its feet, head perked up, nose scenting the wind for its prey. Sarah flinched, crouching behind her new tree.

A few seconds went by, and the bull subsided, lying back down by the river water. Sarah peeked out, trying to get an idea of her surroundings, and where the best place to get a drink would be.

* * *

Jareth's eyes were fixed on the crystal. He couldn't believe it, but Sarah had managed to find the Mnemosyne river that Hamel had added into the landscape…and as an added bonus, she'd put on his invisibility necklace. _She might have a chance._

_Maybe even better than a chance_, he thought, observing his agitated cousin. Hamel was restless in his seat, squirming and glowering at the crystal.

* * *

It looked rather simple. The river's course was quite bendy, and a few yards away, Sarah could see one of the bends coming very close to some of the trees. All she had to do was work her way from tree to tree without that bull creature becoming alert to her presence. 

The bull itself was snorting and grunting as it lay by the river, occasionally lifting its head and sniffing the air.

_OK, so it goes by scent more than sight. Don't know how that helps me._

She decided – egged on by her growing thirst – that the best thing to do was to just get to it, and began slowly creeping through the trees.

After what seemed like an eternity, she'd left the bull a ways behind, and had reached the bend in the river. Reaching out from behind the tree, she dipped her hands into the water, and took a long, long drink.

Then she began to scream.

* * *

Jareth was grinning as he watched her drink the water of the Mnemosyne. He couldn't tell whether he was more pleased at Sarah's success, or at his cousin's anger._ She did it!_

The smile abruptly disappeared, as Sarah's mouth opened wide. The crystal did not provide for transmission of sound, but it didn't take that to see that she was screaming at the top of her lungs. Hamel sat up in his chair, looking happier than he had for the past hour.

* * *

_What's happening…_

Images raced past her faster than she could comprehend, in a blur of light and sound. She was dimly aware that she was screaming, but could no more control her own voice than she could control the flood of memories that was returning to her.

Lost in her returning past, Sarah didn't notice that her hands had grabbed her head, thereby overbalancing her and tipping her straight into the water of the fast-flowing Mnemosyne.

The bull, having leapt to its feet the moment it heard the screams, heard the splash just as it reached the bend in the river. The rushing water hid Sarah's scent, and the current swept her right past the bull. Its sight was not good, or it might have seen the gap in the river that Sarah's invisible self created. It roared, not knowing where its prey had gone…only knowing, somehow, that it had been thwarted.

Sarah thrashed in the water, attempting to stay afloat, as the current pushed her onward through the forest. She had a bit more awareness of her surroundings now, but was still attempting to adjust to the return of her memories…

The waters of the Mnemosyne are rocky and unpredictable, much like human memory. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise that the river's current brought Sarah directly into a rock.

* * *

She was shivering with cold; the first hint that consciousness was coming back. Sarah raised her dripping head, and looked around her. 

She was lying half-in, half-out of the river, on a muddy embankment. _Beached like a whale. _Her soaked legs and feet were still in the water, and she slowly pulled them out, scrabbling up the bank and onto the grass.

Her memory had returned, and had seated itself back in her mind while she'd been unconscious. She did remember what had happened while she'd been lost in the forest, her past slowly being eaten away…and shivered again, this time with more than cold. _I don't think I'll ever really forget what it's like to be without memory. _

_I can't be out of time yet, since I'm still in the Labyrinth. So there's really no harm in sitting here for a minute and getting my bearings._

Jareth's food pouch was still tied to her belt. Her numb fingers did not want to work, and she struggled with the sodden knots. Finally, she freed the pouch, and munched contentedly on what it provided.

The sun had come out, and was helping to warm her back up. She'd left the forest behind, and was currently sitting on a grassy meadow, which looked more or less split in two by the river. _The Mnemosyne. _

_I have no idea how long I was out,_ she thought, chewing on a handful of raisins. _It could have been hours. So now I need to think about this – I don't have the luxury of wandering blindly through and hoping I'll hit on something._

_What was that that Jareth said when we were back in the castle…"it's on my side"? Hamel could force the castle to do what he wanted – keep Jareth imprisoned – but Jareth was more powerful within the castle, because it was on his side. _

_Maybe the Labyrinth is the same way. Hamel's got control of the Labyrinth for the Challenge, but I'll eat that sword if his control is complete. Maybe – just maybe – the Labyrinth is on Jareth's side too._

_Wait! What did Hoggle say, when we first came in? Something about the way we took…yes, that's it. That way can only be used by people going to the castle on a mission from the King. So it stands to reason that that way would work the same if someone was using it to go back…that it could only be used to get _out_ of the Labyrinth by someone leaving on a mission from the King, too._

_I'm making a lot of assumptions,_ she thought, with a twinge of fear._ I'm assuming that IF the Labyrinth's on Jareth's side, IF the King's Way is still there, and IF it works the same way going out as it does going in, then I'll be able to find it and use it. I certainly would think getting Jareth back his Kingdom counts as being on a mission from the King, but what do I know? That's an awful lot to take on faith._

_On the other hand…it's the best plan I've got._

There was really nothing else for it. She quickly retied the pouch to her belt, and stood, taking stock of her possessions. Her backpack was still miraculously on her shoulders, damp but intact, and it had kept the sword on her too. Silently blessing whatever impulse had led her to put on the invisibility necklace, she left it on for the moment.

Otherwise, she was wet, muddy, and bruised. Her limbs were stiff, and ached when she moved. _When I'm done with this – whatever happens – I'm going to sleep for three days solid._

_But I'm not done yet. _


End file.
